Comments on: Dubious Link Selling Requests

By: James W.

James W. — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:13:35 +0000

You know, I got these same emails back in Jan/Feb but I didn’t just take them at face value as being a scam to screw up your SERP, I turned it around on the scammer. Since I work as an email administrator, I’m used to scambaiting and phishbaiting so I just took this person for a ride. I was asking about pay-outs, percentages, the marketing, affiliates, partnerships, network distribution and market reach, niche penetration, all sorts of stuff. After two replies back (which were nearly identical copies of each other), they stopped replying probably because they realized I wasn’t falling for the scam. I wanted to keep scambaiting but they didn’t want to.

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:11:29 +0000

Thanks for this! I was just pondering that decision a while ago, when I following a trackback from one of the “example” sites, and it led me here. I flatly rejected them after reading this.

By: Alex Robar

Alex Robar — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:31:56 +0000

It seems suspcious to me, Daniel, that if your site was “well enhanced” by these ads that you wouldn’t list you site in your comment. It also seems highly suspicious that I responded the gentlemen trying to buy links on my site with this page, and mere hours later a comment defending this company (written in the same poor English) appears on this site.

You’re right, it is everyone’s right to make money. But you didn’t respond to any of Becky’s concerns that this would ruin one’s search result rankings. And given the suspicious nature of your comment, I’m inclined to believe you’re on the payroll for these link brokers.

I received the same examples that Becky did, and if you honestly think they increased the value of your page, you are sorely mistaken.

By: Daniel.

Daniel. — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:30:28 +0000

Hi,
Whats wrong with that guy and their text links?
I got money and thats cool while the stuff they provided me was very cool and well enhanced in my blog pages.Please dont plute them, to earn money is everybody’s right and what Google itself doing? Google wants its own monopolistic authority on whole web market places and thats not fair at all.

Please open the world to all and equal opertunities for business and money.
Best,
Daniel.

By: Alex Robar

Alex Robar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:28:54 +0000

I’m glad I found this entry of yours. I received the same requests, and was pretty confused as to what they were. Thanks for the insight into how these would kill SEO!

Cheers,
AR

By: Missy

Missy — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:55:51 +0000

Oh my god, Becky. I received this exact request, the one that contains the links to Lindsay Web Design.

The offer to me was to place a paragraph on some of my blog posts, with links to their aff sites. The rate offered to me was $10 per paragraph.

I was going to do it, the only reason i have yet not done it, was because the info was sent to me in an Excel spreadsheet i cannot open.

Do you think this is a scam? I too am skeptical because the person would not reveal who they are connected with. I tried getting a company name, and rec’d no response.

I guess it is not worth the SERP risk, im not doing it. Im so glad you posted this.

Missy.

By: Make ,000,000 blogging, learn to use Twitter, and get banned for buying Diggs | Chris Bloczynski dot Com

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:59:17 +0000

[...] Finally, Becky fends off some shady link buyers. [...]

By: A week in blogging Jan 18-25

A week in blogging Jan 18-25 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:49:38 +0000

[...] has an excellent article on the dubious link purchase/selling emails we all get these [...]

By: Preblogging

Preblogging — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:20:31 +0000

Hi Catherine, I’m sure it’s alot more than what they were offering to pay me SEOs can get crazy money ! If I was using this company I would be very mad at their tactics.

In the cases I followed up their requests, they always upped their offer by 25% when I declined their prices.

By: CatherineL

CatherineL — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:11:13 +0000

That’s interesting Becky. I wonder how much they’re charging customers for these links?